The intense rivalry between Ireland and Wales from my playing days wasn’t imagined. Familiarity didn’t breed contempt, but it did manage to foster a dislike for one another on the pitch. Off it some of the best nights out I had during my international career were in Cardiff.

There were some proper scraps on the pitch, no quarter asked or given, and a fair amount of chirping from the usual suspects whenever they were able to draw breath. There was a healthy level of competition between the countries that stemmed from playing in the same league and clashing regularly at club level.

Wales have won four Grand Slams in the professional era and that gave them the bragging rights at Test level where they also thwarted Ireland’s bid for a first World Cup semi-final. The Irish provinces, though, held sway in Europe, for the most part in the Celtic League in its various forms, while Ireland had their moments in the Six Nations too.

The old tradition of the post-match black tie dinner did more to encourage friendlier interaction than people might suspect. They were long and generally stuffy affairs, so players sought refuge in each other’s company, and found common ground, having tried to smash each other to smithereens a few hours earlier.